Chapter 18 - Shadows in the MirrorLate one evening, long after the bookstore had closed and Maya had fallen fast asleep in her crib, Roman stood in the bathroom of their coastal home, splashing cold water on his face.
He looked up into the mirror.
The man staring back at him had a few more lines around his eyes, silver threading through his dark hair, and calluses on his hands from hauling timber. The sharp, predatory edge of the Chicago kingpin was gone, replaced by the quiet, grounded strength of a father and a husband.
He didn't miss the penthouse. He didn't miss the silk suits, the bodyguards, or the fear he used to inspire in every room he entered.
A soft pair of arms wrapped around his waist from behind, and Celeste rested her chin gently against his back.
"Thinking about the past?" she asked softly, her voice carrying through the quiet bathroom.
Roman turned around in her arms, wrapping his hands around hers. "Just looking at the contrast."
"Do you ever regret it?" she asked, her dark eyes searching his face carefully. "Giving it all up for a quiet life in Maine?"
Roman didn't hesitate for a single second.
"Celeste," he said, his voice deep, steady, and filled with absolute conviction. "The day I walked out of that penthouse and watched the elevator doors close was the day I actually started living. You didn't destroy me. You saved me."
Celeste smiled, a tear glistening briefly in the corner of her eye before she leaned up and pressed her lips softly against his.
May you like
"Good," she whispered. "Because I'm not planning on letting you go anywhere."
"Neither am I," Roman replied, holding her tightly against him as the waves crashed gently against the rocky shore outside.
